Leslie acclaimed Liberal candidate in Orléans in chaotic meeting

Former Canadian Forces general Andrew Leslie will carry the Liberal banner in Ottawa-Orléans in next year’s federal election, but his nomination Saturday was marred by a chaotic and divisive scene in which police had to break up a noisy scuffle.

Former Canadian Forces general Andrew Leslie, after a chaotic nomination meeting that named him Liberal candidate in Orléans, is predicting next year’s federal election will revolve around Canadians’ fatigue of the Conservative government’s secrecy and vindictiveness.

Leslie, an adviser to Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, was acclaimed Saturday by Liberals in Ottawa-Orléans as their candidate for the 2015 election, when the riding will be known simply as Orléans.

But the event dissolved into a divisive shouting match, with Ottawa police needed to break up a scuffle in the hall.

Leslie’s only rival, Ottawa lawyer David Bertschi, showed up with some angry supporters who complained that the party had acted undemocratically last month in disqualifying him from seeking the nomination.

In a speech, Leslie urged the crowd to put aside their differences and work together to defeat the local Conservative MP, Royal Galipeau, and the governing Tories.

At a news conference afterwards, the retired general criticized Prime Minister Stephen Harper, saying he believes next year’s campaign will offer Canadians a clear choice.

“I think underlying most of it is that Canadians are growing tired and increasingly frustrated with the secretive, vindictive and vote-targeting policies of the Conservative government.”

“And I think the desire for change will leave more and more people to consider other alternatives.”

Leslie said the Liberals are now developing a policy platform for the campaign that will be “fully-costed and researched.”

“We have a superb leader in Mr. Trudeau,” he said.

“I think his spirit of transparency, his willingness to embrace new ideas, and his abilities to make the hard calls will set the country in good stead.”

However, not all the Liberals in the room Saturday evening were pleased with the party’s decision to disqualify Bertschi — a decision that was officially confirmed by Trudeau himself.

“Shame, shame, shame,” some Liberals chanted as it became clear Leslie was about to be acclaimed without a fight from his rival.

Leslie offered to meet with anyone to discuss their concerns.

“Today, we are a team, we are a family. Yes, there has been some tensions in the family. This is natural. It’s actually healthy. It shows that there is passion, there is fire.”

Bertschi ran for the Liberals in the riding in 2011, losing to Galipeau, and also ran for the leadership contest won by Trudeau in 2013.

Bertschi had initially been given the “green light” — approval to seek the nomination — by a committee that screens potential candidates. But last month, the Liberals’ national campaign co-chairs, Katie Telford and Dan Gagnier, wrote to Bertschi to inform him the approval had been rescinded.

They said Bertschi hadn’t complied with a plan to pay down outstanding debts from his leadership bid.

There was also a question about whether he had properly informed the green-light committee about a defamation action he had launched against a U.S. gossip website.

In recent days, Bertschi filed an appeal. He said that his debts were being paid down in accordance with Elections Canada rules and noted that the libel action had been abandoned.

During the meeting, Bertschi stood at the side of the hall but ran into a melee in the middle of the room to help assist a police officer in breaking up two angry people who scuffled over a Canadian flag.

Bertschi told the Citizen the event was anti-democratic and that although he is a longtime Liberal, he is now “leaving my options open” on whether to support the party because Trudeau has informed him in a letter that he is not prepared to let him run in any riding.

“This is not the Liberal party I have been part of my whole life and I’m disappointed,” said Bertschi. “I’m numb. I believe in democracy.”

At Saturday’s meeting, a letter from Telford and Gagnier was read aloud to the gathering to explain the need for background checks on all candidates. They wrote that Trudeau’s commitment to an open nomination process “remains strong.”

“The process can only work with a strong set of rules that are applied equally to all potential contestants. Those rules must include a robust vetting process which protects the party and its members.”

They added that they took the “difficult decision” to revoke Bertschi’s qualification for the nomination contest because of “ongoing concerns” about his debt and because of “an issue of material non-disclosure.”

“This decision was informed by facts and applied without any consideration given towards the interests of any other contestants.”

But Judith Holtzhauer, who said she has voted Liberal for the past 40 years, ripped up her Liberal party membership card and threw it at Leslie’s feet as he left the stage after delivering his speech.

“There are many of us who perhaps would have voted for him if we had a democratic process,” she said. “But to have somebody parachuted in, it’s just not a possibility.”

Leslie was led out of the hall accompanied by supporters and as uniformed police officers kept watch on the adjoining hallways.

At a news conference, Leslie said he believes he could have beaten Bertschi had there been a contest, and that he still believes it was an open nomination because everyone had to go through the green light committee.

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